It's hot. No it's excruciatingly hot this summer in the Philippines. The highest temperature so far has been 34°F this summer and I don't doubt it.

While we are all content on just using sunblock whenever we go to the pool or beach we actually need sunblock even when it's not sunny or we're just indoors. The sun's UV rays penetrate the curtains/blinds and even our own home lights and computer monitors emit UV radiation that cause harm and skin darkening (which explains why some people look gaunt and gray after spending the whole day facing the computer).

It's been a hot minute since my last blogger "event" so I was pretty happy to go last April 24th for a little sparty courtesy of Dermplus (JLC Miller & Co., Inc) which was held at the charming little Manos Nail Lounge at BGC Taguig.

I wasn't a complete stranger to their products because I've used the X80 before in my Zambales adventure.

The event started a little late so I had more than enough time to take some photos here and there, which wasn't taxing because the place was cozy and sparingly decorated with lovely pieces I'd love to steal take home if I could.

Here they are presenting the importance of sunblock/sunscreen and their latest additions to the line — Dermplus Invisilite Sunblock Spray and Dermplus AfterSun Hydrating Body Gel.

The new Invisilite Sunblock Spray is invisible on the skin with 50++ total protection factor while the AfterSun Hydrating Body Gel cools and soothes the skin after prolonged sun exposure/sunburn (This one feels really good on the skin. It smells light and refreshing too.)

Their latest campaign "Enjoy the Sun" perfectly resonates with their products. With the combined protection against UVB and UVA rays, moisturizing properties to soothe the skin and water resistant properties for your water adventures, this PABA-free* dermatologically tested sunblock receives an A++ in by book.

John Uy the new Dermplus ambassador sharing his experience in using Dermplus products.

And obviously this compact is no different. This one is actually an exact copy of the "Hera" limited edition compact I've been lemming ever since I saw it online a couple of years ago. As I've said before in one of my posts, I don't know if I'm happy that they outrightly copy on the other hand it makes for some friendly competition and more affordable options.

This CC cream has 15 grams, typical amount for most cushion bases I've seen and includes a refill cushion in the box. I'm in the darkest shade (#23) and you guessed it, it's still too light.

The compact is sturdy enough. Not that it's a little flimsy but it does wobble when you turn the mirror enclosure from side-to-side — naturally. Duh CJ.

This "air-puff" business is new to me. The texture is quite different from the other "regular" puffs including Korean ones that I've tried. It's like it doesn't absorb that much product which should be a good thing but I don't like this particular puff very much. I guess I'm just not used to applying base products a little at a time. I've tried a synthetic buffing brush and it works quite well with it.

Germophobes won't be able to stand the sight of a soaked sponge that you dip your puff into periodically during the day. I honestly wasn't too concerned about that when cushions first came out.

As you can see it's very sheer but easy enough to apply. I have to warn you though, this isn't a summer CC cream. It doesn't blend easily onto the skin because of heat outside and/or your body.

TIP:

Apply sparingly and in light sheer layers, wait to dry then apply more if needed.

Set immediately as this leaves a dewy finish.

To avoid cakey-ness use as a primer similar to the texture of your base.

Use a synthetic brush and buff in for faster application.

Here it is on my face. I have a lot of redness on the sides of my nose and some on my cheeks (left image) . Aside from the fact that it made me about 100 shades lighter, it was able to neutralize the redness (right image) and lighten my bags a smidgen.

The color does settle and darken after a while but it's still noticeably lighter.

Here is my look after neutralizing the liquid base with a darker face powder, adding some blush, eyeliner and putting on a tonne of highlighter. The CC cream has a pink/neutral tone to it so some areas of my face appear grayish especially in person. My skintone is yellow-olive so my face bases have to have enough yellow and/or yellow-green tones in it.

It wears the whole day but doesn't look as good as initially applied under the current heatwave.

I would recommend it to people who live in cooler places and like dewy and sheer finishes. Add to the reasonably affordable price of $14.66 $8.80 plus the discount code (CJSH10) and free shipping it's a pretty good bargain if only just for the compact itself. You can just put in your preferred foundation/bb/cc (which is what I did after reviewing it :P ).

xx,CJ

PS. What's your stand on copy-cat companies/products?
PSS. What do you think of cushion makeup in general?

Coming down from the high that was the March BDJbox, the sequel is by no means lacking. It's as packed as the previous one, actually even more so. Full-sized items are definitely preferrable (read : Ponds March Box) but I understand.

MyChoice is a Malaysian brand is made in Thailand and made only for export. There isn't much about them on the internet but I know one thing's for sure I can't wait to try these out— partly for the awards they've garnered and especially for the fact that they're sickeningly affordable.

Do you see the little "tofu" cubes? That's goat's milk I believe and the way it's designed is super cool.

I've heard about this brand last year from a Filipina beauty Youtuber and according to her it's amazing. Let's just see how amazing it really is. I've shared some to my family so I'll be gathering their input as well.

I know Mustela is a very well-known brand for chemical-conscious mommies and daddies. Because the ingredients are very mild and non-irritating they're very safe for all ages especially for those with sensitive skin.

These are the only makeup item in this box (save for the Tony Moly CC cream sample) and you read that right Php 60. I think they had a typo in the description card this time because I've never seen Revlon in that price range. Can anyone tell me how much that highlighter is?

Subscription price/box - Php 580

Total amount of box - Approx. Php 1600

This concludes my un-boxing post! I hope you got an idea of one of the most famous and sought after subscription boxes in the Philippines.

Disclaimer : BDJ kindly sent this box to me as a gift. I was not asked nor compensated (monetary or otherwise) to post this in any of my social media or to make a blog post about it. All my opinions about the box - its contents and companies mentioned are my own unless someone steals my account, pretends to be me and continues the blog in my stead.

Ziaja is a Polish family company with 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical and skin care market. Ziaja is a leading producer in Poland with sales over 50 million units per year.

Production adheres to strict system and process quality standards; the high quality of Ziaja products are guaranteed by ISO 9001:2008 and GMP standards. Each recipe is prepared with great care, in terms of dermatological and physico-chemical standards, and is consistent with European cosmetic law.

It's not a relatively known brand in the Philippines in terms of skincare. I was planning to keep it my dirty-little-secret but I decided to spread the word instead because this brand is something to watch out for. They have a lot of lines from babies to women and men. To date I've tried the face cream under the Goat's milk line (featured here) , Jasmine Micellar water from the Jasmine 50 line (featured here) and this eye cream I'm about to share with you.

Experience This is relatively thinner compared to the Freshel one and I can't find any discernible scent. As it's thinner in consistency it feels lightweight on the skin but still moisturizing. Lately I haven't been as religious as when I first started using this (I think I can skip a day or two) but I find it good.

The nozzle/tip of the tube is similar to the Freshel. I wish most eye creams were packaged like this. I don't mind jars but this kind of design is compact, travel-friendly and hygienic (to germophobes).

Most of their products (if not all) are super affordable — it's sick. The range of products are staggeringly wide, the packaging is simple and straight-forward it looks retro plus the site is very detailed.

Where to find I found ZiaJa at BeautyBar sadly they don't have a lot of variety in terms of line range. I suggest buying directly from the site for a complete list of all products and feast your eyes on everything. Squee.

Have you heard of this brand?

xx,

CJ

PS. Buy in bulk.
PPS. ZiaJa's quite famous in Korea — they get massive orders from people there.
PPS. Products are made under European standard people! European! Next best standard to Korean in my opinion.

If you're new to Manila or any major city, you'll find that people here have a certain summer uniform— ripped-to-almost-nothing denim shorts, sporty-esque-I'm-part-of-a-team shirt/ text-based shirt design with athletic sneakers and ray-ban sunglasses aviators most specially seen in teens and young adults.

Not saying this is bad, not at all. It's just you'll find more than a handful of people wearing this in most places. Maybe a cardigan thrown in or a Letterman jacket.

Call me hipster but I'm not one to go with the crowd or trend. So I made (on the right) what I would most definitely wear as a summer uniform in this blasted heat. I'll go with a cami most of the time but the stripes were pretty and one would usually stay away from black in the summer. I say embrace black all year round! I did balance it with a high-wasted bleached denim, neon green shoes and cool-as-fvck sunglasses.

I've been lusting over cushion bases ever since their first inception (just ask my sister). Most people probably don't know but Almay was the first brand I saw that carried (or used to carry) "cushion" bases and blushes and that was in the early 2000s. I think it was called something like "soft touch" or "sheer something".

So imagine my face when I finally got the blasted piece of retrieval slip from the post office (seriously though I hate going there anyone else feel me?). When I finally ripped open the package just outside the post office (yeah, I couldn't wait, sue me) the box was super pretty and the compact even more so.

I actually decided on this compact based on the fact that it looked exactly like the Hera limited edition cushion compact.

Interesting name though right? I don't know if this is a Taiwanese /Hong Kong brand because the company is in Hong Kong. When I first heard about the name it reminded me of Big Hero 6, more specifically...

Falalalalalala

xx,

CJ

PS. Have you watched it? If you haven't please do. And if you have extra time check out the comic/manga that inspired the movie as well! The plot-line is way different apparently.

PPS. What do you think of cushion makeup? And lip tattoos? How about the blatant copy-cat makeup brands? — Personally, I'm torn between thinking they're awesome and thinking they're unimaginative.

This has been my go-to palette for nights out, day time, events and what have you. Apart from being sleek-looking and compact, the quad is definitely a no-brainer neutral palette. Especially since it has the names on the lid.

PACKAGING

KATE Tokyo's brand is very sleek, modern, sophisticated with none of the frilly, girly and "kawaii" we tend to associate when we think "Japanese makeup". This is because they cater to the more "mature" modern woman on-the-go, making the aesthetic of the makeup straight-forward.

The ingredient list and instructions at the back of the quad and the plastic box it came in was in Japanese which might irk people who want to know more about the ingredients.

The sponge applicator is useful! Don't dismiss it like you would your super annoying friend just yet.

PERFORMANCE

The shadows are soft, easy to blend and pigmented --The last two shades especially. You'd have to use a primer to make the white show up very white but the three shades are pigmented enough on their own as evidenced by the swatch.

The "spotlighting" in the name comes from the glossy light shadow - a pink iridescent shade you put on top of another shadow. Very much like a top coat on nails, it just adds more shimmer/light hence the "spotlighting".

Aside from white and pink I think this one has magenta shimmers. It's very soft as evidenced again by the dent on my palette. Because they are soft (this shade especially), they tend to get fall outs if you're not careful and you'll have shimmer where you don't want to. Tapping off the excess on the brush helps, but I advice to use your fingers instead then pat it on.

The color shows up more and applies better when using the fingers anyway. If you don't want to use your fingers the sponge applicator included works well with it. Here's a typical eye look I do using the dark color , base and glossy light shades.

I used the dark color with the base color and glossy light in the middle.

I recommend this for minimalists, working women and of course beginners. I didn't think this would be a staple in my makeup arsenal since the all shimmer palette threw me for bit. The shimmers of the darker shades aren't obvious in pictures but they're really pretty IRL.